Not only are the bracket pools and buzzer-beaters in March magical, but so are the players' shock at becoming famous in tournament history. Otega Oweh of Kentucky made a moment in the Enterprise Center that will be remembered for decades on a day when the stakes were much higher and the lights seemed a little brighter.
As the clock ticked down and the Wildcats were down by two points to a determined Santa Clara team, Oweh took the ball, drove toward the logo, and said a prayer. The ball bounced home as the horn rang out, giving Kentucky new life, sending the game with Santa Clara to overtime, to which Kentucky then took control, never letting up, securing the victory to advance to the Round of 32.
OTEGA OWEH AT THE BUZZER TO SEND IT TO OVERTIME!!!! 🤯
THIS. IS. MARCH. pic.twitter.com/KGzYtY5rKO
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) March 20, 2026
“That's the Type of Vibe It Is”
After Kentucky's overtime win, Oweh was surrounded by teammates on the floor in a frenzy of joy. He finally found a moment of relative calm with CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein. Oweh gave an honest answer that perfectly captured how unpredictable the postseason is when asked about how the shot worked and what he was thinking as the ball left his fingers.
"I don't know, it just went in. It's March Madness — that's the type of vibe it is, I ain't gonna lie."
– Otega Oweh to @jonrothstein after his EPIC buzzer-beater pic.twitter.com/W0ssaiRwCO
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 20, 2026
For Kentucky fans, the “vibe” was one of pure relief. Santa Clara had spent the better part of forty minutes out-shooting the Wildcats on the perimeter, threatening to bounce the blue bloods in the opening rounds. But Oweh’s heroics proved that in this tournament, logic often takes a backseat to destiny.
Oweh, known more for his defensive tenacity and downhill driving, wasn’t the scripted option for a deep-range buzzer-beater. However, as he noted, the tournament has a way of choosing its own heroes.
The Wildcats now move on to the next round, fueled by the momentum of a miracle. While the coaching staff will surely look to tighten the perimeter defense and speed up the pace of play before their next tip-off, for one day, the only thing that mattered was Oweh’s “vibe”, and the fact that the ball, somehow, just went in.




















